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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. track — to keep track
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hand — help
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. track — a path
  15. lean — thin
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. last — to go on
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. track — a song
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. vault — a safe

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