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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. spell — magic
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. vault — a safe
  14. clip — a video
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — letters
  17. cell — a phone
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. kid — child
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cell — in biology
  24. clip — for paper

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