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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. deal — to handle
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. chest — a box
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. swing — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — to play on
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mine — an explosive

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