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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. press — newspapers
  3. content — happy
  4. press — a publisher
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. content — the amount
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. object — an aim
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. press — to push
  24. chip — for betting

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