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: pit · chair · rule · charge · vault · rest · wind · track

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. charge — a price
  3. rule — a law
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rule — government
  14. chair — a leader
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. charge — in control
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — a song
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wind — moving air

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