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 120 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: file · bound · content · cabinet · charge · tear · drill · ruler

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. drill — a practice
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tear — from crying
  14. file — a document
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. tear — to rip
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bound — obliged
  21. content — the amount
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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