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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. court — of a king
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. object — to protest
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. plane — a tool
  8. object — a thing
  9. present — there
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. present — the time now
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. object — an aim
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — a safe
  21. court — of law
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. present — a gift
  24. bore — to tire

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