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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. season — in sport
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chest — of your body
  8. shower — rain
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chest — a box
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. staff — employees
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. staff — a stick
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. season — of the year
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — to wash
  24. season — to add flavour

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