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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pass — a permit
  4. swing — to play on
  5. spring — the season
  6. mate — to breed
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. spring — of water
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. swing — music
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — to spend time

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