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: saw · degree · arm · wake · jam · cell · vault · roll

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cell — a phone
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wake — a trail
  9. saw — the tool
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cell — in biology
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. degree — from a university
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. roll — a list
  19. degree — temperature
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. roll — a cake
  24. arm — part of the body

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