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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. press — a publisher
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. spring — of water
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. tear — from crying
  10. sharp — clever
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. vault — a safe
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spring — a coil
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tear — to rip

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