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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cold — an illness
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitch — completely
  15. staff — employees
  16. roll — a list
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cell — a phone
  19. staff — employees
  20. cell — in biology
  21. suit — in cards
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. roll — a cake
  24. staff — a stick

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