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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. land — a country
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. land — to come down
  15. snap — to click
  16. rash — a series
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pound — a weight
  19. land — ground
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pitch — completely

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