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: suit · wake · wave · key · present · content · bat · vault

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. suit — to fit
  6. content — happy
  7. present — a gift
  8. suit — in cards
  9. content — the amount
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. suit — clothes
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. wake — a trail
  24. key — the most important part

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