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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. content — happy
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — the amount
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. file — a tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a document

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