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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. court — of law
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. court — of a king
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mug — a face
  14. content — the amount
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fine — all right
  19. mug — a cup
  20. court — for sport
  21. drill — army training
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. content — happy

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