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: club · bound · bulb · current · last · content · ball · stand

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. current — electric
  3. content — happy
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. current — of water
  7. club — for golf
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. content — the amount
  10. bound — certain
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. club — a group
  13. last — final
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bound — obliged
  17. last — finally
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. current — happening now
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bulb — for light

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