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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. game — wild animals
  3. hand — in cards
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. current — happening now
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — in control
  10. current — electric
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. current — of water
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. charge — a price
  19. stem — to come from
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hand — help
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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