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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pitch — completely
  4. content — the amount
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rock — a stone
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. spring — a coil
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bat — the animal
  16. spring — the season
  17. deal — to handle
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spring — of water
  20. content — happy
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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