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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. season — of the year
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. spell — letters
  6. season — in sport
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bound — certain
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — a short time
  13. track — a song
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bound — tied together
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bound — obliged
  20. track — a path
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. hand — help
  23. spell — magic
  24. vault — a safe

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