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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wound — an injury
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. content — happy
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cell — a phone

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