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: chair · kid · patient · vault · fan · wound · lean · rush

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chair — a leader
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wound — an injury
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kid — child

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