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: fan · fine · lean · track · scale · pitcher · content · leaves

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. scale — in music
  3. track — a path
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lean — to bend
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fine — all right
  8. content — happy
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. track — a song
  20. content — the amount
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fan — to cool the air

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