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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spell — magic
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. chip — for betting
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spell — a short time
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wax — to grow
  19. game — a match
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spell — letters
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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