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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. capital — money
  3. spring — a coil
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. spring — the season
  9. bat — the animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. ground — a position
  12. pass — a permit
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. ground — crushed
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bank — of a river

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