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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. branch — a division
  3. degree — from a university
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. degree — an amount
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a match
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. game — wild animals
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. degree — temperature
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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