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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rule — government
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — to push
  6. vault — a safe
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. press — newspapers
  15. spring — the season
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. press — a publisher
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  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