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

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. plane — a tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — a safe
  8. spell — letters
  9. last — final
  10. spell — a short time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. game — a match
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. spell — magic

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