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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — a safe
  4. can — a tin
  5. rock — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lean — to bend
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fall — the season
  20. content — the amount
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lean — thin

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