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: pop · ball · arm · trunk · deal · vault · last · fall

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ball — a dance
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pop — music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. last — to go on
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fall — the season
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. last — finally
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. last — final
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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