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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. tear — to rip
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chip — to eat
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cell — a phone
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. toast — bread

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