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 116 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: board · vault · rush · net · spell · fall · face · shower

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. shower — to wash
  5. board — a committee
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — letters
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. spell — magic
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. net — for catching
  19. spell — a short time
  20. board — to get on
  21. net — in sport
  22. shower — rain
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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