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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. track — a song
  3. bass — low music
  4. game — a match
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. track — a path
  16. bank — of a river
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cell — in biology
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — to keep track

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