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: cell · pound · mouse · hide · current · content · cap · field

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cap — a lid
  3. current — electric
  4. content — happy
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — the amount
  7. pound — a weight
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — a hat
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — happening now
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. field — for sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. field — a subject
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. field — farmland
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. current — of water
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pound — to hit hard

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