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: cell · fan · rule · field · calf · pound · vault · band

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. field — for sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. field — farmland
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cell — a phone
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. vault — a safe
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. field — a subject
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rule — government

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