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: press · rule · leaves · cue · chest · ground · field · vault

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ground — a position
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chest — of your body
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chest — a box
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. rule — government
  13. press — to push
  14. cue — for pool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ground — crushed
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. field — a subject
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ground — the earth
  23. press — newspapers
  24. leaves — lets stay

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