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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. shower — rain
  5. vault — a safe
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. last — final
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. shower — to wash
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cell — in biology
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. key — the most important part
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. key — in music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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