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: hide · wound · game · row · net · wave · rash · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — an injury
  5. net — for catching
  6. vault — a safe
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. net — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rash — a series
  19. row — to paddle
  20. game — a match
  21. wound — an injury
  22. game — wild animals
  23. row — a line
  24. net — after costs

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