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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — for paper
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hand — in cards
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hand — help
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wound — an injury
  14. clip — to cut
  15. face — to point toward
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. clip — a video
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. ruler — for measuring

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