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: stick · ground · cap · degree · tube · vault · rush · mate

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ground — a position
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — a container
  13. mate — a partner
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rush — to hurry

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