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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. toast — bread
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. hand — help
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. tear — to rip
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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