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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. last — to go on
  3. vault — a safe
  4. last — finally
  5. cue — a hint
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. can — to be able to
  8. season — in sport
  9. land — ground
  10. can — a tin
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. last — final
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. season — of the year
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. land — a country
  21. lie — to recline
  22. land — to come down
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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