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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. degree — from a university
  4. ground — a position
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. degree — an amount
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ground — crushed
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — to grow
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ground — the earth

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