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: bound · pop · fall · charge · firm · vault · degree · shower

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. firm — steady
  3. degree — an amount
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — to visit
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fall — to drop
  9. degree — temperature
  10. firm — a company
  11. bound — tied together
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fall — the season
  14. vault — a safe
  15. firm — decided
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pop — soda
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. shower — rain
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pop — music
  24. charge — in control

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