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: cold · plane · chair · vault · net · suit · ball · roll

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cold — not warm
  3. chair — a leader
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cold — an illness
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ball — a dance
  12. roll — a list
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. net — in sport
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. plane — a tool
  22. net — for catching
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. net — after costs

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