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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. vault — a safe
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rock — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hand — help
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rock — a stone
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. clip — a video
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mine — an explosive

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