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

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rash — a series
  6. field — farmland
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. rash — hasty
  9. key — in music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. vault — a safe
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock

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