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: content · pop · present · deal · land · jam · chip · wax

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pop — to visit
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pop — music
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chip — for betting
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. present — a gift
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chip — to eat
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pop — soda
  18. deal — to handle
  19. present — the time now
  20. land — a country
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. present — there

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