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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. ground — crushed
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. club — a group
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kick — in football
  9. file — a document
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. club — for golf
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ground — a position
  15. deal — to handle
  16. season — of the year
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ground — the earth
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. file — a tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. season — in sport
  23. plane — a tool
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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