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: cue · content · field · present · plane · jam · cold · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cue — for pool
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. field — farmland
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. present — there
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. present — a gift
  11. field — for sport
  12. content — the amount
  13. field — a subject
  14. cue — a signal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. content — happy
  18. cold — not warm
  19. object — to protest
  20. cue — a hint
  21. present — the time now
  22. object — an aim
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cold — an illness

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