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: temple · mouse · content · track · shower · file · spell · board

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. track — a path
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. board — to get on
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — magic
  13. board — a committee
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. file — a tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. spell — a short time
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. file — a document
  24. track — a song

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