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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. toast — bread
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rash — a series
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fine — high quality
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. content — the amount
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pitcher — a jug

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