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: present · last · lash · rule · content · wound · fine · foot

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wound — an injury
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wound — an injury
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. present — there
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fine — all right
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. present — the time now
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rule — a law
  18. last — finally
  19. rule — government
  20. last — final
  21. present — a gift
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. last — to go on

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