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: mouse · club · degree · bay · wind · hide · vault · cell

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cell — in biology
  4. club — a group
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cell — a phone
  12. degree — an amount
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. vault — a safe

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