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 · straw · bear · cell · face · content · pop · rule

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. object — to protest
  4. face — to confront
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. object — a thing
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rule — a law
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. content — happy
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pop — music
  18. content — the amount
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. cell — a phone
  24. object — an aim

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