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 120 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: bay · pop · ground · mate · vault · safe · game · land

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — to visit
  4. land — ground
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mate — to breed
  7. game — a match
  8. pop — soda
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mate — a partner
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — a country
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ground — the earth
  19. land — to come down
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ground — a position
  23. pop — music
  24. ground — crushed

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