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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — a subject
  3. chest — a box
  4. vault — a safe
  5. press — a publisher
  6. track — a song
  7. court — of a king
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. track — to keep track
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. court — for sport
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. chest — of your body
  17. field — farmland
  18. press — to push
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. track — a path
  22. bat — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. field — for sport

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