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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mine — for digging
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cue — for pool
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wound — an injury
  19. drill — army training
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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