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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. firm — decided
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. land — ground
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. firm — steady
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. saw — the tool
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. file — a tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. land — to come down
  15. file — a document
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. land — a country
  20. firm — a company
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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