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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. present — a gift
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. present — the time now
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. present — there
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chair — to sit on

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