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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — to protest
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — an aim
  10. current — electric
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. object — a thing
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ruler — a monarch

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