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 120 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: pit · vault · content · track · object · rash · land · leaves

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. content — happy
  5. object — to protest
  6. rash — hasty
  7. object — a thing
  8. pit — in a race
  9. object — an aim
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. land — ground
  12. content — the amount
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. track — a path
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. vault — a safe

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