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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fall — the season
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. capital — money
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kid — to tease
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. date — the fruit
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pass — a permit
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. coach — a trainer

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