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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — music
  4. staff — employees
  5. saw — the tool
  6. shower — to wash
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. suit — clothes
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pop — soda
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. suit — to fit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. degree — from a university
  18. suit — in cards
  19. degree — an amount
  20. shower — rain
  21. staff — employees
  22. degree — temperature
  23. staff — a stick
  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