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 124 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. chest — of your body
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. degree — temperature
  7. last — finally
  8. date — the fruit
  9. chest — a box
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. last — to go on
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chair — a leader
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. last — final
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chest — of your body
  23. degree — an amount
  24. date — on the calendar

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