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: toast · temple · rule · bank · cold · prune · nail · vault

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rule — a law
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bank — of a river
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. prune — to trim
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rule — government
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. temple — a place of worship

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