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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — happening now
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. file — a document
  6. current — of water
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. file — a tool
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — electric
  17. present — a gift
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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