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 · pop · present · deal · lean · wind · court · scale

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. scale — in music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. deal — to handle
  7. court — of a king
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. lean — thin
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. content — the amount
  17. scale — size or range
  18. court — for sport
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wind — moving air
  21. court — of law
  22. present — there
  23. pop — music
  24. content — happy

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