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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — thin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bank — of a river
  10. charge — a price
  11. content — happy
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rest — a break
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — in control
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. charge — electricity
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. bear — the animal

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