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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. content — the amount
  3. rule — government
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rest — what's left
  7. row — a line
  8. rock — a stone
  9. season — of the year
  10. rule — a law
  11. track — a path
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ground — crushed
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rest — what's left
  17. row — to paddle
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. track — a song
  23. rest — a break
  24. ground — a position

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