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: hand · field · vault · kick · degree · nail · stand · lash

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hand — help
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kick — in football
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stand — to bear
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. field — a subject
  16. hand — in cards
  17. degree — an amount
  18. vault — a safe
  19. field — farmland
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. field — for sport
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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