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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. can — a tin
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lean — thin
  5. vault — a safe
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bass — the fish
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. board — a committee
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. degree — temperature
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — for catching
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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