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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. bat — for baseball
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. current — electric
  5. key — the most important part
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bat — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mug — a cup
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mug — a face
  16. content — the amount
  17. chip — to eat
  18. key — for a lock
  19. current — happening now
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chest — of your body
  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