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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bank — for money
  5. land — ground
  6. board — to get on
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. land — a country
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bank — for money
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — the season
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. land — to come down
  19. spring — a coil
  20. can — to be able to
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. spring — of water
  24. bank — of a river

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