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: foot · kid · stand · bear · saw · content · pop · fall

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — happy
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. content — the amount
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fall — the season
  17. kid — to tease
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kid — child
  24. bear — to put up with

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