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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. vault — a safe
  6. file — a line of people
  7. spring — of water
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. file — a document
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. file — a tool
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. tear — from crying
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. tear — from crying

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