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 124 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. press — a publisher
  4. field — farmland
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lie — to recline
  10. face — to point toward
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. field — for sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — boats
  15. cue — a hint
  16. face — part of the head
  17. field — a subject
  18. face — to confront
  19. press — to push
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. craft — a skill
  24. straw — a straw man

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