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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. prune — to trim
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — a line
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stand — to bear
  19. vault — a safe
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. row — to paddle
  24. board — a committee

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