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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chip — for betting
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. last — final
  6. file — a document
  7. rest — a break
  8. last — to go on
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rash — a series
  16. file — a tool
  17. last — finally
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cold — not warm
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chip — to eat

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