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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · ball · pass · kick · rule · content

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. content — happy
  3. present — there
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rule — a law
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. content — the amount
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rule — government
  11. present — a gift
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pass — a permit
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. kick — in football

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