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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — a path
  3. vault — a safe
  4. saw — the tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. degree — temperature
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. track — to keep track
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chip — to eat
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. track — a song
  17. file — a tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. file — a document
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. file — a line of people
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. chip — for betting

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