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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. charge — electricity
  5. band — a ring
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. band — a music group
  10. spring — of water
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chest — a box
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chest — of your body
  20. charge — a price
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. charge — in control
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lie — an untruth

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