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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. pass — a permit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chip — for betting
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wake — a trail
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stand — on your feet

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