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: fan · content · bear · dip · wind · arm · squash · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. rock — music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bear — the animal
  15. content — the amount
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wind — moving air
  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