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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bound — tied together
  5. march — music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. toast — bread
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — final
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. last — finally
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bound — certain
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bound — obliged
  20. last — to go on
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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