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 · press · ground · fall · dip · root · cold · current

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. press — a publisher
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — of water
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. root — the cause
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — electric
  13. press — to push
  14. root — of a word
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — not warm
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — newspapers
  22. dip — to sink
  23. current — happening now
  24. cold — an illness

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