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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fork — in a road
  3. content — the amount
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. last — to go on
  7. present — there
  8. bank — for money
  9. clip — a video
  10. bound — certain
  11. pit — a hole
  12. present — the time now
  13. last — final
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pit — in a race
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bank — of a river
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. content — happy
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. last — finally

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