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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mate — a partner
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. shower — rain
  12. mine — for digging
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mate — to breed
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mate — a friend
  24. prune — to trim

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