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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. ball — a dance
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. current — happening now
  8. fine — all right
  9. current — of water
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. file — a line of people
  12. current — electric
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fine — high quality
  16. content — happy
  17. file — a document
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hand — help
  20. mark — a trace
  21. file — a tool
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a great time
  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