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: stem · shower · vault · ball · kid · ruler · sharp · bowl

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. vault — a safe
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stem — to come from
  12. sharp — clever
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kid — child
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. shower — rain

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