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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chair — a leader
  4. last — finally
  5. squash — the sport
  6. last — final
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. root — of a word
  11. squash — to crush
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. root — the cause
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. file — a tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. last — to go on

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