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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. shower — to wash
  3. vault — a safe
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. sharp — clever
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chair — a leader
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. plane — a tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mine — for digging
  16. shower — rain
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mine — belonging to me

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