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: nail · race · leaves · spell · march · chest · stem · vault

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. march — music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. spell — a short time
  12. march — the month
  13. race — a contest
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — humankind
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. race — the arms race
  20. chest — of your body
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chest — a box
  23. march — the month
  24. leaves — to go away

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