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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — rain
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pop — soda
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. land — a country
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. land — to come down
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lie — to recline
  17. land — ground
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pop — music
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pop — to visit
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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