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: roll · mine · bowl · current · content · land · rule · wax

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rule — a law
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rule — government
  8. land — ground
  9. roll — a list
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. content — happy
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. current — happening now
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. wax — to grow

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