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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. vault — a safe
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. field — for sport
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. staff — a stick
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kick — in football
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. key — in music
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fall — to drop
  20. field — a subject
  21. key — the most important part
  22. staff — employees
  23. field — farmland
  24. staff — employees

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