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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rest — what's left
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bank — of a river
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. vault — a safe
  9. toast — bread
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chest — a box
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. spell — letters
  19. rest — a break
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. calf — a young 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