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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. spring — of water
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chip — for betting
  6. track — a path
  7. rash — hasty
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. track — to keep track
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. spring — a coil
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. track — a song
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hand — help
  16. spring — the season
  17. rash — a series
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mark — a trace

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