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: pound · vault · pitcher · mate · object · hand · rule · wave

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. hand — help
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rule — government
  12. object — a thing
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rule — a law
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. object — to protest
  19. mate — to breed
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pound — a weight

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