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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bank — for money
  3. charge — in control
  4. rash — a series
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bank — for money
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. land — a country
  11. rash — hasty
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bat — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. charge — a price

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