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: shower · patient · vault · hide · press · track · march · cell

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — a safe
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. shower — rain
  5. cell — a phone
  6. press — newspapers
  7. track — a song
  8. shower — to wash
  9. track — a path
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. press — a publisher
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — to keep track
  18. march — the month
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cell — in biology
  22. press — to push
  23. march — music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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