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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wound — an injury
  8. degree — temperature
  9. tube — a container
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — an injury
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. clip — for paper
  16. tube — the underground
  17. clip — to cut
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chest — of your body
  20. staff — employees
  21. clip — a video
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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