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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — a practice
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stem — to come from
  9. drill — army training
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. scale — in music
  13. spring — of water
  14. scale — size or range
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. content — happy
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. kid — child
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kid — to tease

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