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: band · rush · patient · degree · staff · vault · face · charge

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. face — to point toward
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. face — to confront
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. degree — from a university
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a music group
  11. rush — hurry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — employees
  14. vault — a safe
  15. degree — an amount
  16. staff — employees
  17. degree — temperature
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. charge — electricity
  20. staff — a stick
  21. face — part of the head
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rush — to hurry

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