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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rest — a break
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rest — what's left
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. field — a subject
  19. pop — music
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pop — soda
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — the season

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