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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. branch — a division
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — a position
  8. club — for dancing
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mark — a trace
  13. club — for golf
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. club — a group
  17. race — humankind
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — a contest
  22. fall — the season
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mark — to pay attention

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