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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cue — a signal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cue — for pool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pound — a weight
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — the tool
  20. capital — a city
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cue — a hint
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. capital — money

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