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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rest — what's left
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. shower — rain
  6. file — a line of people
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. object — an aim
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rest — a break
  12. object — to protest
  13. vault — a safe
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. spell — letters
  17. object — a thing
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spell — magic

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