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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. drill — army training
  3. last — final
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wind — moving air
  8. present — a gift
  9. bark — to shout
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. present — there
  14. firm — a company
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. vault — a safe
  17. last — to go on
  18. firm — decided
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. firm — steady
  24. last — finally

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