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: sharp · bank · pass · mate · saw · ball · vault · cold

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cold — not warm
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mate — a friend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pass — to spend time

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