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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. mark — a trace
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spring — the season
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mug — a face
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rash — a series
  22. tube — a container
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mug — to rob

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