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: prune · staff · board · wake · vault · cell · cue · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cell — a phone
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. staff — employees
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cue — a signal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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