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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · bear · cue · vault · tear · patient · board · chest

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cue — for pool
  3. board — to get on
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chest — of your body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chest — a box
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — a committee
  12. bear — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spell — letters
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tear — to rip
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cue — a signal

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