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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — a break
  5. wake — a trail
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. firm — steady
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — letters
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. spell — magic
  18. vault — a safe
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spell — a short time
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cell — a phone
  24. firm — a company

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