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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a music group
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chest — a box
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. can — a tin
  15. band — a ring
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chest — of your body
  23. can — a tin
  24. chip — for betting

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