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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. drill — army training
  3. degree — temperature
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. game — a match
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. game — wild animals
  11. drill — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wax — to grow
  15. vault — a safe
  16. drill — a practice
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — to crush
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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