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: toast · bound · clip · lie · game · safe · charge · content

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. charge — in control
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. clip — a video
  7. bound — obliged
  8. content — the amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — to cut
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. charge — a price
  16. clip — for paper
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. charge — electricity
  20. content — happy
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — certain

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