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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. content — the amount
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wake — a trail
  6. current — electric
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. file — a document
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. current — happening now
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. file — a tool
  15. season — of the year
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. content — happy
  24. file — a line of people

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