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: bank · arm · toast · cell · jam · court · vault · hand

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cell — in biology
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. cell — a phone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. court — for sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bank — for money
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. toast — bread
  19. court — of law
  20. bank — of a river
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. court — of a king
  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