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 116 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: season · kid · content · mark · vault · drill · rash · rock

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rash — a series
  4. season — in sport
  5. content — happy
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. kid — child
  11. season — of the year
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. content — the amount
  16. rash — hasty
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — to add flavour

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