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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. vault — a safe
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — a country
  5. present — a gift
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kick — in football
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. present — the time now
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. land — to come down
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. land — ground

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