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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. object — an aim
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mate — a friend
  15. object — to protest
  16. wind — moving air
  17. game — a match
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wind — moving air
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. object — a thing
  24. fork — to eat with

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