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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bound — certain
  4. rule — government
  5. content — the amount
  6. rock — a stone
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. rock — music

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