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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wind — moving air
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bass — low music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bound — tied together
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. scale — size or range
  19. shower — rain
  20. scale — in music
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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