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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bound — obliged
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. root — of a word
  9. mine — for digging
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bound — certain
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bound — tied together

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