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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. track — a path
  5. vault — a safe
  6. current — of water
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. present — a gift
  9. current — happening now
  10. bark — to shout
  11. present — the time now
  12. sharp — clever
  13. current — electric
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wake — a trail
  19. present — there
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. sharp — with an edge

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