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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. vault — a safe
  4. spell — magic
  5. ball — a dance
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. date — the fruit
  13. degree — from a university
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — letters
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. firm — steady
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. firm — a company
  23. ball — a great time
  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