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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tube — the underground
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. content — the amount
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rush — hurry
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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