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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. field — farmland
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. clip — for paper
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. clip — to cut
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — a video
  17. field — a subject
  18. squash — to crush
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. field — for sport
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cabinet — ministers

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