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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. vault — a safe
  3. dip — to sink
  4. club — for dancing
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spring — the season
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. club — for golf
  15. can — a tin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — a tin
  19. scale — in music
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. spring — of water
  24. club — a group

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