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: hand · press · firm · vault · pitcher · capital · spring · jam

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. firm — decided
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. capital — a city
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. firm — a company
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. spring — the season
  19. firm — steady
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. capital — money
  23. press — newspapers
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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