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 · lean · craft · mark · last · pop · deal · wound

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pop — to visit
  6. last — to go on
  7. lean — thin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — to bend
  11. content — happy
  12. mark — a grade
  13. last — final
  14. pop — music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wound — an injury
  20. last — finally
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pop — soda
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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