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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. vault — a safe
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. sharp — clever
  7. file — a document
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. last — final
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. last — finally
  20. rest — a break
  21. file — a tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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