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: trunk · row · hand · patient · cell · vault · bass · spring

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. hand — in cards
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. spring — of water
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. bass — low music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cell — in biology
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. spring — the season
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bass — the fish
  23. row — a line
  24. cell — a phone

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