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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — a weight
  9. roll — a cake
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. club — for golf
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. drill — army training
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stand — to bear
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. roll — a list
  21. club — a group
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. club — for dancing

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