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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spell — magic
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. content — the amount
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. spell — letters
  14. content — happy
  15. firm — steady
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tube — a container
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. firm — decided
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. date — the fruit
  24. firm — a company

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