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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. dip — to sink
  5. field — a subject
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. court — for sport
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. spring — the season
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. vault — a safe
  21. field — for sport
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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