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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chair — a leader
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bass — low music
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bass — the fish
  24. deal — a big deal

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