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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fine — all right
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. charge — a price
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. content — happy
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bear — the animal
  15. row — a line
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. scale — size or range
  24. sharp — exactly

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