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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hand — help
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — happening now
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. current — of water
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. vault — a safe
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. net — in sport
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. object — an aim
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. net — for catching
  21. wind — moving air
  22. net — after costs
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. sharp — clever

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