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 120 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: can · safe · pit · court · vault · game · scale · cold

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. scale — size or range
  3. court — for sport
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. vault — a safe
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pit — in a race
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. can — to be able to
  15. game — a match
  16. cold — not warm
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. can — a tin
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. scale — in music
  22. can — a tin
  23. pit — a hole
  24. game — a kind of play

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