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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. shower — to wash
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. shower — rain
  15. rush — hurry
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ground — the earth
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ground — a position

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