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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. squash — to crush
  4. vault — a safe
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mark — a grade
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. row — a line
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mark — a trace
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wind — moving air
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. chair — a leader

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