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: content · row · tube · scale · hand · face · snap · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. face — to point toward
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. tube — a container
  6. face — to confront
  7. scale — in music
  8. face — part of the head
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. row — to paddle
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. snap — to click
  16. row — a line
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. hand — help
  22. content — happy
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. content — the amount

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