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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. roll — a cake
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. key — in music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — a break
  15. cold — not warm
  16. roll — a list
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ball — a dance

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