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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — the amount
  4. current — electric
  5. tear — from crying
  6. sharp — clever
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tear — to rip
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. content — happy
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. current — happening now
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. kick — in football
  18. sharp — exactly

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