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: object · wind · chair · kid · ball · cap · deal · vault

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. object — to protest
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ball — a great time
  6. kid — to tease
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. deal — to handle
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cap — a hat
  16. kid — child
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. deal — a big deal

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