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: kid · cell · vault · fine · suit · rock · row · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. kid — to tease
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — a phone
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. row — to paddle
  10. kid — child
  11. fine — all right
  12. suit — to fit
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chest — a box
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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