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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. content — happy
  3. bear — the animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pit — a hole
  7. foot — a measure
  8. date — the fruit
  9. current — electric
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bear — the animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wake — a trail
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pit — in a race
  23. current — of water
  24. bear — to put up with

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