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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. branch — a division
  3. content — happy
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fall — the season
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — shares
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fall — to drop
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rash — a series
  20. stock — goods
  21. content — the amount
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. track — a path

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