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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fall — the season
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. squash — to crush
  24. vault — a safe

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