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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. present — a gift
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bound — certain
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. content — the amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. present — there
  24. wound — an injury

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