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: current · hand · tube · bowl · content · bore · arm · mine

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mine — for digging
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hand — in cards
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. content — the amount
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. current — of water
  14. hand — help
  15. bore — to tire
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — happy
  18. tube — a container
  19. current — happening now
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mine — belonging to me

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