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: wound · straw · scale · vault · staff · jam · shower · spring

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. staff — a stick
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. staff — employees
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. shower — rain
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wound — an injury
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. scale — size or range
  14. vault — a safe
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. spring — of water
  21. wound — an injury
  22. scale — in music
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. staff — employees

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