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 124 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — wild animals
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. kick — in football
  7. march — the month
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rule — a law
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — government
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rest — a break
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pass — a permit
  19. game — a match
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. march — music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rest — what's left

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