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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — a safe
  4. roll — a list
  5. fine — high quality
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fine — all right
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rock — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. season — in sport
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. season — of the year
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wind — moving air
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. swing — in golf

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