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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. degree — from a university
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. current — of water
  6. kick — in football
  7. object — a thing
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wind — moving air
  16. degree — an amount
  17. current — electric
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. fine — all right
  20. current — happening now
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kick — a thrill

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