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: cell · cue · content · net · cabinet · bear · wax · mine

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. net — after costs
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — for catching
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. content — happy
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mine — for digging
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. cell — a phone
  23. net — in sport
  24. cell — in biology

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