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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — a coil
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spring — the season
  14. lean — thin
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spring — of water
  21. bank — for money
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. degree — an amount

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