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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. drill — the tool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. foot — a measure
  10. game — wild animals
  11. drill — a practice
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. game — a match
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. drill — army training
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. charge — in control

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