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: land · vault · club · squash · safe · capital · board · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. squash — the sport
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chest — of your body
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. land — to come down
  8. club — for golf
  9. vault — a safe
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — money
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. club — for dancing
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — ground
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. club — a group
  18. chest — a box
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. land — a country
  23. squash — to crush
  24. capital — a city

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