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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bass — low music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spell — letters
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — the season
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spring — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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