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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. drill — the tool
  8. clip — a video
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chair — a leader
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rock — a stone
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — to cut

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