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: net · lie · content · foot · leaves · squash · sharp · fork

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. foot — a measure
  6. squash — to crush
  7. net — for catching
  8. squash — the sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. content — happy
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. content — the amount
  17. lie — to recline
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. lie — an untruth

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