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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chest — of your body
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chest — of your body
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chest — a box
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. toast — bread
  15. game — a match
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. stem — to come from
  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