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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — a container
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — music
  6. band — a music group
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bank — for money
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fall — the season
  13. band — a ring
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ground — a position
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. march — the month
  23. ground — the earth
  24. chair — a professorship

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