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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. track — a song
  4. land — a country
  5. vault — a safe
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — to bear
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. press — to push
  13. land — to come down
  14. track — to keep track
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — newspapers
  17. land — ground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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