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: cell · staff · swing · vault · fan · fine · ground · craft

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. swing — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cell — a phone
  8. fine — high quality
  9. craft — boats
  10. ground — the earth
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fine — all right
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ground — a position
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ground — crushed
  24. craft — a handicraft

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