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: field · cap · roll · fall · sharp · vault · spell · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cap — a hat
  4. field — a subject
  5. fall — the season
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. spell — a short time
  10. sharp — clever
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spell — magic
  13. roll — a list
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. field — for sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spell — letters
  23. field — farmland
  24. cap — of ice

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