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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. key — in music
  15. cell — a phone
  16. field — for sport
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. spring — the season
  24. key — the most important part

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