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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. vault — a safe
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — certain
  5. cap — of ice
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cap — a hat
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bound — tied together
  11. net — after costs
  12. hand — help
  13. tube — the underground
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. hand — in cards
  20. tube — a container
  21. bound — obliged
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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