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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. club — a group
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. vault — a safe
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. club — for dancing
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. club — for golf
  19. shower — to wash
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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