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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. present — there
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. game — a match
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cell — a phone
  23. tear — from crying
  24. game — wild animals

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