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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. degree — an amount
  3. vault — a safe
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cell — in biology
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. march — music
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. march — the month
  21. degree — from a university
  22. march — the month
  23. lie — to recline
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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