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: tube · roll · degree · cue · track · press · vault · wound

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. degree — from a university
  3. track — a path
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cue — for pool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cue — a hint
  8. degree — an amount
  9. track — a song
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. press — to push
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wound — an injury
  16. roll — a list
  17. track — to keep track
  18. vault — a safe
  19. tube — the underground
  20. degree — temperature
  21. roll — a cake
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tube — a container
  24. press — newspapers

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