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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — decided
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chip — for betting
  5. degree — an amount
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — a stick
  12. chip — to eat
  13. firm — a company
  14. degree — temperature
  15. staff — employees
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wake — a trail
  19. degree — from a university
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. branch — a division
  24. chip — in a computer

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