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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. current — happening now
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. current — electric
  5. row — to paddle
  6. content — the amount
  7. row — a line
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rule — a law
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rule — government
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. current — of water
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ball — a great time

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