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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fall — the season
  3. last — finally
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. last — to go on
  8. press — newspapers
  9. last — final
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spell — letters
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spell — magic
  19. press — to push
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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