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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. face — to confront
  6. march — music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. face — to point toward
  9. club — for golf
  10. march — the month
  11. field — for sport
  12. march — the month
  13. face — part of the head
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bound — tied together
  18. field — a subject
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. club — for dancing
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. field — farmland

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