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 124 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. prune — to trim
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — a safe
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. game — a match
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. foot — a measure
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — a division
  22. dip — to sink
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. game — wild animals

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