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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. rule — a law
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rule — government
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rock — music
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. content — the amount
  24. rule — to rule out

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