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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — electric
  4. club — a group
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. court — of law
  10. club — for golf
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — happening now
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. court — for sport
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. current — of water
  19. lie — to recline
  20. club — for dancing
  21. content — happy
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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