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 116 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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. press — to push
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — for a lock
  5. club — for golf
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rush — hurry
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. key — in music
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cold — not warm
  19. vault — a safe
  20. press — a publisher
  21. club — a group
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — newspapers

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