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: current · club · nail · chair · game · cue · safe · vault

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cue — a signal
  4. game — a match
  5. current — happening now
  6. vault — a safe
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. current — of water
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. game — wild animals
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — electric
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. club — for dancing
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. game — a kind of play

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