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: bark · content · tear · field · net · firm · foot · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. field — a subject
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. net — after costs
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — a break
  10. firm — a company
  11. net — in sport
  12. firm — decided
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — farmland
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. net — for catching
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. firm — steady
  21. foot — a measure
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. field — for sport

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