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 120 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 · bark · bowl · file · content · season · rush · mark

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. content — happy
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. mark — a trace
  9. season — of the year
  10. object — to protest
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mark — a grade
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. object — a thing
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. object — an aim
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bowl — a dish
  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