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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. fine — all right
  2. content — the amount
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. shower — to wash
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. scale — in music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bank — for money
  14. shower — rain
  15. bulb — for light
  16. board — a committee
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — for money
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. board — to get on
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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