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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. vault — a safe
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. foot — a measure
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. race — the arms race
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fork — in a road
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fall — the season
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. plane — a tool
  14. game — a match
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fall — to drop
  22. race — humankind
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. race — a contest

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