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: face · lean · bear · spring · stick · vault · object · fall

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spring — a coil
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. spring — of water
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. object — a thing
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fall — the season
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. object — to protest
  21. fall — to drop
  22. face — part of the head
  23. spring — the season
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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