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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pass — a permit
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. last — final
  14. degree — temperature
  15. clip — a video
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bound — tied together
  21. clip — for paper
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — finally
  24. bound — certain

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