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 · bound · file · mate · rule · mark · object · ruler

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. object — to protest
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bound — certain
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rule — a law
  15. object — an aim
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. file — a document
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rule — government
  22. file — a tool
  23. object — a thing
  24. content — the amount

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