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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. charge — a price
  4. staff — employees
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. staff — a stick
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. charge — electricity
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. tube — the underground
  20. saw — the tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. content — happy
  23. court — of a king
  24. bear — the animal

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