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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — humankind
  6. court — for sport
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — a contest
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. court — of law
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — a publisher
  14. row — to paddle
  15. race — the arms race
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — of a king
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — the season
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. row — a line
  23. fall — to drop
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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