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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. charge — in control
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. season — in sport
  10. track — a song
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. season — of the year
  15. bound — certain
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  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