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: deal · pass · content · cell · ground · vault · kid · land

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kid — child
  4. land — to come down
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. land — ground
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ground — a position
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ground — crushed
  13. kid — to tease
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. content — happy
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. deal — to handle
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cell — a phone
  21. content — the amount
  22. land — a country
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cell — in biology

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