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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · mate · stand · ground · tear · vault

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. vault — a safe
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. tear — from crying
  5. content — the amount
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. content — happy
  8. mate — a friend
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — a position
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ground — the earth
  15. tear — to rip
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mate — to breed
  18. tear — from crying

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