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 · ball · spell · current · cabinet · roll · snap · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spell — letters
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ball — a great time
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. current — happening now
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. content — the amount
  13. current — electric
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. current — of water
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. snap — to click
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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