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 · capital · trunk · rock · deal · content · coach · pass

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rock — music
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pass — a permit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. vault — a safe
  17. capital — a city
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. capital — money

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