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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. vault — a safe
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — to tire
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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