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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — of water
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chest — of your body
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. spring — the season
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. chest — a box
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spring — a coil
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. vault — a safe
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chest — of your body

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