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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fall — the season
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — in football
  8. capital — money
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — a city
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rush — a thrill

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