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: spring · wind · vault · ruler · kid · fall · bank · sharp

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fall — the season
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spring — of water
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bank — for money
  12. kid — to tease
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kid — child
  24. spring — the season

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