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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. field — a subject
  4. cap — a lid
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. current — happening now
  7. cap — of ice
  8. current — of water
  9. pit — a hole
  10. field — for sport
  11. suit — in cards
  12. field — farmland
  13. suit — to fit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. current — electric

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