ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. dip — to sink
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. content — happy
  6. band — a music group
  7. row — a line
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. row — to paddle
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. roll — a list
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a ring
  15. spell — a short time
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. branch — a division
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. content — the amount
  21. roll — a cake
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com