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: chest · press · firm · sharp · vault · capital · spring · perch

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. chest — of your body
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. press — to push
  8. spring — of water
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. firm — a company
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chest — a box
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. sharp — clever
  18. vault — a safe
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chest — of your body
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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