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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chest — a box
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chest — of your body
  7. row — a line
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chest — of your body
  10. firm — a company
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pass — a permit
  13. vault — a safe
  14. land — a country
  15. suit — clothes
  16. land — to come down
  17. tear — from crying
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. tear — to rip
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. firm — steady
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. firm — decided

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