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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chest — of your body
  6. season — of the year
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — a song
  9. can — to be able to
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. season — in sport
  16. last — final
  17. chest — a box
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pit — a hole
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pit — in a race
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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