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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. drill — army training
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rule — a law
  7. rush — hurry
  8. drill — a practice
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mine — for digging
  12. roll — a list
  13. staff — employees
  14. content — happy
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. staff — employees
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rule — government
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. drill — the tool
  24. roll — a cake

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