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 120 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: content · fall · fine · pit · shower · field · wave · scale

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pit — in a race
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fall — to drop
  10. content — happy
  11. field — farmland
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fall — the season
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — in music
  20. field — for sport
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. field — a subject
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. shower — rain

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