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: sharp · chip · vault · face · drill · ground · pitcher · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. drill — army training
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. face — to confront
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chip — to eat
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ground — a position
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ground — crushed
  20. drill — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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