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: cell · staff · craft · ruler · bound · lie · court · vault

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lie — to recline
  5. court — for sport
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. court — of a king
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bound — tied together
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cell — in biology
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bound — certain
  21. court — of law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ruler — for measuring

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