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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. tube — the underground
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. net — after costs
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bound — tied together
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. tube — a container
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. degree — from a university
  21. game — a match
  22. bound — certain
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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