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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. last — to go on
  6. degree — temperature
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. last — finally
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. roll — a list
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. last — final
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mine — for digging
  24. race — a contest

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