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

Word bank: spring · last · deal · staff · leaves · tear · cell · vault

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spring — of water
  8. staff — employees
  9. tear — to rip
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. last — final
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cell — a phone
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cell — in biology
  24. leaves — to go away

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