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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ground — a position
  6. band — a ring
  7. kid — child
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. track — a song
  10. ground — the earth
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — thin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. band — a music group
  19. fine — all right
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. vault — a safe
  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