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: bowl · race · content · vault · wound · trunk · jam · clip

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. race — humankind
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wound — an injury
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. content — happy
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. clip — to cut
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. clip — a video
  17. wound — an injury
  18. clip — for paper
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. vault — a safe
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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