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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rash — hasty
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitch — completely
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. content — the amount
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rash — a series
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. content — happy
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. season — in sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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