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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pit — in a race
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bound — obliged
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. content — happy
  12. land — ground
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. toast — bread
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. land — a country
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bound — certain
  22. land — to come down
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. prune — to trim

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