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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. content — happy
  11. cap — of ice
  12. track — to keep track
  13. content — the amount
  14. track — a song
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. cell — a phone
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. season — in sport

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