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: bound · tube · pitch · spring · degree · arm · vault · bowl

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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 — a safe
  2. degree — from a university
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spring — the season
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spring — a coil
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. degree — an amount
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pitch — completely
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tube — a container
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bound — certain
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — of water
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — a dish
  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