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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. vault — a safe
  11. last — final
  12. march — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. degree — an amount

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