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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. stem — to come from
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chest — a box
  10. vault — a safe
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. spring — the season
  23. charge — a price
  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