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: wound · vault · chair · chip · pop · craft · bowl · rash

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rash — a series
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. craft — boats
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chip — to eat
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. wound — an injury

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