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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chest — of your body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — a safe
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. chest — a box
  7. charge — in control
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. charge — electricity
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pit — a hole
  16. prune — to trim
  17. capital — money
  18. spring — the season
  19. capital — a city
  20. pit — in a race
  21. spring — of water
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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