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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lean — thin
  18. mug — to rob
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mug — a face
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mug — a cup
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mine — an explosive

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