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: bank · dip · cold · nail · rash · vault · game · wind

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. dip — to sink
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — for money
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wind — moving air
  15. game — a match
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cold — an illness
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cold — not warm
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rash — a series
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wind — moving air
  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