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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. land — ground
  3. vault — a safe
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. land — to come down
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bank — for money
  12. land — a country
  13. craft — boats
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cue — a signal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chest — a box
  24. branch — a division

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