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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bass — the fish
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. plane — a tool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. spring — the season
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — thin
  11. spring — a coil
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. spring — of water

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