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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. file — a line of people
  6. field — for sport
  7. vault — a safe
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. firm — steady
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a document
  15. pass — a permit
  16. roll — a cake
  17. file — a tool
  18. firm — a company
  19. field — farmland
  20. chip — for betting
  21. field — a subject
  22. roll — a list
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pass — to spend time

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