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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. game — wild animals
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lie — to recline
  4. degree — temperature
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rule — government
  10. season — in sport
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — of the year
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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