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: wind · track · dip · toast · content · bat · foot · bear

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. track — a song
  5. content — happy
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bat — the animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. content — the amount
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — the animal
  16. toast — bread
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — a path
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. foot — a measure

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