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

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. vault — a safe
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. sharp — clever
  7. scale — in music
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. track — a path
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. track — a song
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mug — a face
  17. scale — size or range
  18. leaves — to go away

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