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: rule · bass · can · temple · content · saw · chest · tear

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — government
  5. bass — low music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — a law
  17. can — to be able to
  18. content — happy
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bass — the instrument

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