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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. field — for sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wax — to grow
  12. game — a match
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. vault — a safe
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. field — farmland
  19. game — wild animals
  20. field — a subject
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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