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 · scale · rule · jam · swing · game · land · safe

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. land — ground
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. scale — in music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rule — a law
  11. swing — music
  12. land — to come down
  13. rule — government
  14. swing — to play on
  15. game — wild animals
  16. land — a country
  17. content — happy
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. game — a match
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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