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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. 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. staff — a stick
  2. shower — rain
  3. last — finally
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. press — to push
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. last — final
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. staff — employees
  11. last — to go on
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rule — government
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wound — an injury
  18. staff — employees
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cue — for pool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rule — a law
  24. 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