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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. drill — army training
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fall — the season
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. current — electric
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fall — to drop
  9. drill — the tool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stock — goods
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ball — a great time
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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