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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rule — a law
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. craft — boats
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. object — to protest
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cell — in biology
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — government
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rash — a series
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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