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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. last — final
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. last — to go on
  6. ball — a dance
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. last — finally
  10. fall — the season
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bass — low music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  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