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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. root — of a plant
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lie — to recline
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — a safe
  11. last — to go on
  12. root — the cause
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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