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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. vault — a safe
  3. march — the month
  4. chair — a leader
  5. press — newspapers
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — in football
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cap — of ice
  11. snap — to click
  12. cap — a lid
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. press — to push
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cap — a hat
  19. press — a publisher
  20. march — music
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. march — the month
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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