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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. present — there
  4. vault — a safe
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lean — thin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. game — a match
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. squash — the sport
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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