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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. court — of a king
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. content — the amount
  5. fine — high quality
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. content — happy
  8. net — in sport
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fine — all right
  11. net — after costs
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. court — of law
  15. toast — bread
  16. current — of water
  17. drill — a practice
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. current — happening now
  21. net — for catching
  22. current — electric
  23. court — for sport
  24. drill — army training

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