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: deal · racket · tear · cell · cabinet · press · vault · pit

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tear — from crying
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pit — a hole
  12. press — to push
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pit — in a race
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tear — to rip
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. press — newspapers
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. deal — to handle

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