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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. court — for sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bound — certain
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fine — all right
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. court — of a king
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. court — of law
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. content — happy
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fine — high quality

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