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: root · file · row · race · vault · rest · deal · net

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. file — a tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. vault — a safe
  7. row — to paddle
  8. net — for catching
  9. file — a document
  10. row — a line
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rest — a break
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. root — the cause
  16. race — a contest
  17. net — in sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. race — humankind
  21. root — of a word
  22. net — after costs
  23. root — of a plant
  24. deal — to handle

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