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: foot · leaves · rush · content · stock · chest · ball · wave

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chest — of your body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. content — the amount
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stock — goods
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. content — happy
  14. stock — shares
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chest — a box
  24. foot — part of the body

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