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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. current — electric
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — of water
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wind — moving air
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — a gift
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tube — the underground
  22. current — happening now
  23. tube — a container
  24. degree — an amount

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