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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rock — a stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. degree — temperature
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rule — a law
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rock — music
  16. rule — government
  17. vault — a safe
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. content — happy
  20. foot — a measure
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. content — the amount
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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