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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bound — tied together
  5. land — to come down
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wind — moving air
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. land — a country
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bound — certain
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pit — in a race
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. vault — a safe
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. land — ground
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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