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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. hand — help
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chair — a leader
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mine — for digging
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stem — to come from
  24. vault — a safe

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