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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. roll — a cake
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — employees
  6. spring — the season
  7. firm — a company
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. roll — a list
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — steady
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — of water

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