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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. charge — a price
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. charge — in control
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tear — from crying
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. tear — to rip
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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