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: last · season · mark · shower · swing · vault · deal · fine

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. last — final
  3. season — in sport
  4. fine — high quality
  5. swing — to play on
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. swing — in golf
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. shower — to wash
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. swing — music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mark — a trace
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fine — all right
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — rain
  24. season — of the year

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