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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — of a river
  5. row — a line
  6. file — a document
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — a short time
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rule — government
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. spell — letters
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — a law
  17. file — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — magic
  22. can — to be able to
  23. content — the amount
  24. rule — to rule out

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