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: bark · content · chip · stick · scale · current · cabinet · shower

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. content — happy
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. shower — rain
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — size or range
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — happening now
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chip — to eat
  19. current — electric
  20. scale — in music
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. current — of water
  23. content — the amount
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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