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

Word bank: leaves · vault · clip · rule · wound · chair · roll · rush

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. roll — a list
  6. clip — a video
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wound — an injury
  10. vault — a safe
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chair — a leader
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rush — hurry
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rule — government
  24. chair — to sit on

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