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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rock — music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mug — to rob
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. object — to protest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — music
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mug — a cup
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. drill — army training
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rock — a stone
  20. drill — the tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. mug — a face
  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