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: dip · bound · mine · track · content · calf · can · field

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. track — to keep track
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. track — a path
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bound — obliged
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. field — for sport
  11. track — a song
  12. content — the amount
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. field — a subject
  16. bound — certain
  17. can — to be able to
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. can — a tin
  23. field — farmland
  24. bound — tied together

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