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 · wake · bound · pit · file · foot · tube · snap

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bound — tied together
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. content — happy
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pit — a hole
  10. tube — a container
  11. snap — to click
  12. file — a document
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. content — the amount
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bound — obliged
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bound — certain
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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