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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tear — to rip
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pass — a permit
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. net — in sport
  16. craft — boats
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. net — for catching
  20. wind — moving air
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. net — after costs
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. vault — a safe

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