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: rule · bore · court · object · vault · last · key · cap

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. rule — a law
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bore — to tire
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. key — in music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rule — government
  14. object — a thing
  15. cap — a lid
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. bore — to drill
  19. last — final
  20. cap — a hat
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. court — for sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. key — the most important part

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