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

Word bank: bowl · season · content · hand · charge · spring · vault · last

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. last — finally
  3. spring — the season
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. spring — of water
  6. charge — electricity
  7. last — to go on
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hand — help
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spring — a coil
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. season — in sport
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. content — happy
  19. hand — in cards
  20. last — final
  21. content — the amount
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. season — of the year
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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