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: suit · ruler · stem · rash · ball · arm · track · content

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. content — happy
  3. rash — a series
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. rash — hasty
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — a song
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. track — a path
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. track — to keep track
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stem — of a plant

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