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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. scale — size or range
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. scale — in music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hand — help
  24. mine — belonging to me

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