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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bulb — for light
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. row — to paddle
  15. last — final
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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