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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. vault — a safe
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. court — of law
  7. content — happy
  8. cue — a signal
  9. court — of a king
  10. cue — a hint
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. press — to push
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. court — for sport
  17. kick — in football
  18. press — newspapers
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cue — for pool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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