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: vault · rash · pop · clip · capital · jam · trunk · lean

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lean — to bend
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lean — thin
  6. clip — a video
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rash — a series
  9. clip — for paper
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. capital — a city
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pop — soda
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rash — hasty
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. clip — to cut
  23. capital — money
  24. pop — music

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