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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. drill — army training
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cold — not warm
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wake — a trail
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cold — an illness
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bowl — a football final

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