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: current · degree · spring · fall · mark · spell · vault · chest

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fall — the season
  3. chest — a box
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — temperature
  9. current — electric
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. degree — an amount
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — magic
  15. vault — a safe
  16. spring — the season
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mark — a trace
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spring — of water
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spell — letters
  24. chest — of your body

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