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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. game — a match
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. charge — electricity
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. charge — in control
  9. mug — to rob
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. current — electric
  13. lean — to bend
  14. current — happening now
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — the amount
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. charge — a price
  23. mug — a face
  24. current — of water

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