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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. tube — a container
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fall — to drop
  15. drill — a practice
  16. tube — the underground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fall — the season
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mark — a grade
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — army training

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