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: mine · season · squash · bark · cold · safe · jam · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. season — of the year
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. vault — a safe
  9. season — in sport
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bark — to shout
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — to crush
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cold — not warm

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