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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. chest — a box
  3. vault — a safe
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spell — magic
  7. chest — of your body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. capital — money
  12. spell — a short time
  13. capital — a city
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spell — letters
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. march — music
  21. rest — a break
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rest — what's left
  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