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: lean · bay · ball · hide · content · fork · wound · stick

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. content — the amount
  3. lean — thin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wound — an injury
  23. content — happy
  24. fork — to eat 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