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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bear — the animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cap — of ice
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fall — the season
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bear — the animal
  19. clip — a video
  20. cell — a phone
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cap — a lid
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fall — to drop

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