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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. capital — a city
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — a container
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — a safe
  17. capital — money
  18. present — there
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. present — the time now
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bat — the animal

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