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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — happy
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. suit — clothes
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. content — the amount
  20. last — to go on
  21. wound — an injury
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. suit — to fit

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