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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tear — from crying
  7. vault — a safe
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wind — moving air
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wind — moving air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tear — to rip

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