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: vault · fall · press · board · track · kick · cell · wound

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fall — the season
  4. vault — a safe
  5. kick — in football
  6. press — to push
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fall — to drop
  10. track — a path
  11. wound — an injury
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cell — a phone
  16. board — a committee
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cell — in biology
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. press — newspapers
  23. board — to get on
  24. kick — a thrill

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