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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spell — letters
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spell — magic
  6. race — humankind
  7. swing — in golf
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bound — certain
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bound — tied together
  14. face — to confront
  15. spring — of water
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. spring — the season
  19. swing — to play on
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bound — obliged
  24. swing — music

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