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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rash — hasty
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. object — to protest
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rash — a series
  9. lean — to bend
  10. tear — from crying
  11. object — a thing
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. object — an aim
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ground — the earth
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. roll — a list
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. tear — to rip
  22. lean — thin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. ground — a position

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