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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. track — to keep track
  4. last — to go on
  5. vault — a safe
  6. snap — to click
  7. track — a path
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. last — final
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. track — a song
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — finally
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. present — the time now
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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