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

Word bank: face · foot · charge · straw · key · content · track · bat

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. content — the amount
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. foot — a measure
  9. key — in music
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. key — the most important part
  13. face — to point toward
  14. track — a song
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. track — a path
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. key — for a lock

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