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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. court — of law
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fine — all right
  8. bound — certain
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. clip — a video
  12. pit — in a race
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — shares
  16. pit — a hole
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. court — of a king
  19. stock — goods
  20. fine — high quality
  21. court — for sport
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stock — a soup base

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