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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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 — an arched ceiling
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — to visit
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fall — the season
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pop — music
  12. stand — to bear
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pop — soda
  23. drill — army training
  24. stand — for spectators

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