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: patient · lean · hand · vault · press · stick · object · court

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. object — an aim
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — to protest
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. vault — a safe
  13. press — to push
  14. lean — thin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lean — to bend
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. court — for sport
  20. object — a thing
  21. court — of a king
  22. hand — in cards
  23. court — of law
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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