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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. saw — the tool
  5. content — happy
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. bear — the animal
  11. club — a group
  12. present — the time now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. club — for golf
  15. current — electric
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — a gift
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. club — for dancing
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — the tool

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