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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. kid — to tease
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kid — child
  5. suit — to fit
  6. spell — a short time
  7. present — a gift
  8. lean — thin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. spell — letters
  11. game — a match
  12. lean — to bend
  13. vault — a safe
  14. present — there
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. suit — clothes
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. present — the time now
  20. game — wild animals
  21. spell — magic
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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