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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. mug — a face
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pop — to visit
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. branch — a division
  11. pop — soda
  12. ground — a position
  13. mug — a cup
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. vault — a safe
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pop — music
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mug — to rob

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