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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. kid — child
  3. spell — magic
  4. kid — to tease
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. vault — a safe
  10. spell — letters
  11. track — a song
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. track — a path
  18. spell — a short time
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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