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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cold — an illness
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. clip — for paper
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. can — a tin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cold — not warm
  14. suit — to fit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pop — soda
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. clip — a video
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. clip — to cut

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