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 · pit · cell · straw · bowl · wax · can · mine

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pit — a hole
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. content — happy
  7. cell — in biology
  8. content — the amount
  9. can — to be able to
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wax — in the ear

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