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: bark · current · clip · cue · fine · bound · nail · content

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fine — all right
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bark — to shout
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. clip — a video
  7. cue — a signal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. current — of water
  11. content — happy
  12. cue — a hint
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. content — the amount
  16. current — happening now
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — obliged
  24. current — electric

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