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 116 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: mouse · leaves · lean · chip · ground · row · spell · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spell — letters
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spell — a short time
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. content — happy
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. chip — for betting
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lean — to bend
  19. content — the amount
  20. row — a line
  21. lean — thin
  22. spell — magic
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ground — the earth

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