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: game · vault · content · swing · plane · staff · drill · degree

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. game — wild animals
  4. drill — the tool
  5. content — the amount
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. drill — army training
  10. staff — employees
  11. degree — an amount
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. degree — temperature
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. degree — from a university
  16. swing — to play on
  17. plane — a tool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. content — happy
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. drill — a practice
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. vault — a safe

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