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: deal · sharp · bat · game · wound · leaves · vault · fine

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. deal — to handle
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fine — high quality
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. game — a match
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fine — all right
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. deal — a big deal

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