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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. race — humankind
  5. track — a path
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. race — a contest
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chest — of your body
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. chest — a box
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — the arms race
  22. vault — a safe
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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