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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. current — of water
  3. court — for sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. current — electric
  7. spell — magic
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — to handle
  12. spell — letters
  13. current — happening now
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of law
  20. content — happy
  21. court — of a king
  22. vault — a safe
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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