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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pop — to visit
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pop — soda
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. chest — of your body
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. march — music
  14. pop — music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. march — the month
  18. firm — decided
  19. mug — a face
  20. chest — a box
  21. firm — steady
  22. chest — of your body
  23. key — in music
  24. march — the month

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