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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. squash — the sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. march — music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cold — an illness
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cold — not warm
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rest — what's left
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — a break
  24. squash — the vegetable

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