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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. current — of water
  3. suit — in cards
  4. clip — a video
  5. spell — letters
  6. cell — in biology
  7. current — electric
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. roll — a list
  11. clip — for paper
  12. spell — magic
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. clip — to cut
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. content — the amount
  18. bore — to drill
  19. roll — a cake
  20. current — happening now
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cell — a phone

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