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: stick · row · cue · vault · ground · cabinet · fine · land

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — to come down
  4. fine — all right
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — crushed
  7. land — ground
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — high quality
  15. land — a country
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ground — a position
  18. row — a line
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cue — a signal

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