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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. file — a document
  4. pit — a hole
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bound — certain
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. file — a tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bound — tied together
  18. shower — to wash
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. shower — rain
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pit — in a race
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bound — obliged

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