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: trunk · cold · jam · bear · spell · capital · vault · current

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. current — happening now
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. capital — a city
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cold — an illness
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. vault — a safe
  11. current — of water
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. current — electric
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. capital — money
  23. cold — not warm
  24. spell — letters

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