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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. roll — a list
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bass — low music
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. file — a tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. court — of a king
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. bass — the fish
  20. file — a line of people
  21. court — of law
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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