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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. current — of water
  4. tube — a container
  5. mine — for digging
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. season — of the year
  8. content — the amount
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. content — happy
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. tube — the underground
  15. current — happening now
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fine — all right
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mark — a trace
  21. current — electric
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fine — high quality

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