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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. content — the amount
  3. degree — an amount
  4. present — there
  5. degree — from a university
  6. present — a gift
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rule — a law
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. present — the time now
  18. bound — certain
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rule — government
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bear — the animal

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