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: chest · ground · rock · vault · leaves · clip · object · firm

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — a safe
  4. clip — a video
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. firm — steady
  16. rock — a stone
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chest — a box
  20. object — an aim
  21. clip — to cut
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. rock — music

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