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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. vault — a safe
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. foot — a measure
  6. race — the arms race
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. season — of the year
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. race — humankind
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. race — a contest
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bear — the animal

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