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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. vault — a safe
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. content — the amount
  5. board — a committee
  6. wound — an injury
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. foot — a measure
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. clip — a video
  11. content — happy
  12. clip — for paper
  13. board — to get on
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wound — an injury
  16. clip — to cut
  17. scale — size or range
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. scale — in music
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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