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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. court — for sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chest — a box
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chest — of your body
  9. court — of a king
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — a series
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rule — a law
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rule — government
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. court — of law
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rule — to rule out
  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