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: mark · stick · tear · kick · content · firm · fan · staff

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — a grade
  8. firm — steady
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. content — the amount
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. content — happy
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mark — a trace
  18. staff — employees
  19. firm — decided
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tear — from crying

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