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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spring — of water
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. vault — a safe
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bat — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — the season
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cell — in biology
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — a phone
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. charge — in control

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