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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. degree — from a university
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. track — to keep track
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. degree — an amount
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. deal — to handle
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. degree — temperature
  22. sharp — clever
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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