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

Word bank: vault · game · cell · scale · club · ground · lie · branch

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ground — the earth
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — for dancing
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cell — a phone
  16. vault — a safe
  17. club — for golf
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ground — a position
  22. lie — to recline
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. club — a group

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