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 · mouse · lash · content · cell · pass · wind · cap

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pass — a permit
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. content — the amount
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pass — to succeed

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