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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. current — electric
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. perch — the fish
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. content — happy
  16. bound — tied together
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bat — the animal
  19. race — humankind
  20. current — of water
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. race — a contest
  24. current — happening now

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