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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · cap · drill · object · race · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. race — a contest
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. object — to protest
  6. race — humankind
  7. drill — army training
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. object — an aim
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. race — the arms race
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. object — a thing
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. drill — the tool

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