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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stand — to bear
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ball — a dance
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. sharp — clever
  22. vault — a safe
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stem — to come from

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