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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lean — to bend
  3. face — to confront
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. present — the time now
  7. mate — to breed
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mate — a friend
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. object — a thing
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. present — a gift
  16. object — an aim
  17. lean — thin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. object — to protest
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. present — there

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