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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — for sport
  3. current — happening now
  4. content — happy
  5. rock — music
  6. court — of a king
  7. present — the time now
  8. degree — an amount
  9. kick — in football
  10. degree — from a university
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. present — there
  17. content — the amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. present — a gift
  21. court — of law
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. safe — a strongbox

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