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: object · fall · vault · leaves · pit · spell · cold · calf

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. spell — letters
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. object — an aim
  10. fall — the season
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cold — an illness
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — not warm
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spell — magic
  19. vault — a safe
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. pit — in a race

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