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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stem — to come from
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. vault — a safe
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. face — to confront
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ground — the earth
  17. face — part of the head
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ground — a position
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. court — of a king
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — of a plant

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