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: content · scale · ruler · rash · net · trunk · current · chest

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. content — the amount
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rash — hasty
  6. chest — of your body
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. current — of water
  9. chest — of your body
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. current — happening now
  12. net — in sport
  13. chest — a box
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. net — for catching
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — size or range
  19. net — after costs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. current — electric
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. content — happy
  24. rash — a series

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