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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. vault — a safe
  6. swing — music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. wind — moving air
  22. dip — to sink
  23. suit — clothes
  24. swing — to play on

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