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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pop — to visit
  3. last — final
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cell — in biology
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. object — to protest
  12. last — to go on
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pop — soda
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pop — music
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cell — a phone
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. last — finally
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. charge — a price
  24. calf — a young animal

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