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: squash · chair · current · patient · cabinet · nail · vault · scale

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — a safe
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. current — happening now
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. current — electric
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — of water
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. scale — in music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. scale — size or range
  24. patient — a sick person

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