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: object · charge · chair · kick · craft · content · ruler · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. object — an aim
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. charge — in control
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. content — happy
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — boats
  14. charge — a price
  15. current — electric
  16. object — to protest
  17. charge — electricity
  18. current — of water
  19. object — a thing
  20. content — the amount
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — a leader
  24. kick — with a leg

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