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 · file · fork · lie · snap · can · lash · degree

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — happy
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — the amount
  19. file — a document
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fork — in a road
  24. snap — to click

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