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: bound · club · present · trunk · clip · pit · rash · vault

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pit — in a race
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rash — a series
  6. clip — to cut
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — certain
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. present — there
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bound — tied together
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. club — a group
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. present — the time now
  19. bound — obliged
  20. club — for golf
  21. rash — hasty
  22. clip — a video
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rash — on the skin

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