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: tear · content · wake · bear · board · arm · field · kick

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. field — farmland
  3. kick — in football
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — a committee
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — to get on
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. tear — to rip
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — happy
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. board — a flat piece

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