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: vault · pop · leaves · pass · arm · shower · spring · staff

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spring — of water
  7. staff — employees
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. shower — to wash
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pop — music
  12. shower — rain
  13. pop — to visit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. spring — a coil
  20. staff — employees
  21. spring — the season
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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