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 · patient · rule · kid · mug · suit · clip · stick

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kid — to tease
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rule — a law
  9. clip — to cut
  10. vault — a safe
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mug — to rob
  17. suit — in cards
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rule — government
  21. mug — a face
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — clothes

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