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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. can — a tin
  4. chair — a leader
  5. spring — of water
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hand — help
  8. vault — a safe
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cell — in biology
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pop — to visit
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. bank — for money
  18. spring — the season
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bank — for money
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chair — a professorship

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