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: stem · vault · fall · wound · game · leaves · net · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. net — in sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wound — an injury
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fall — to drop
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. net — after costs
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — a match
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fall — the season
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. vault — a safe
  23. net — for catching
  24. temple — side of the head

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