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: bay · bank · net · wind · spring · vault · degree · pit

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. net — after costs
  3. pit — a hole
  4. degree — temperature
  5. net — in sport
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bank — of a river
  11. net — for catching
  12. spring — the season
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. spring — of water
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bank — for money
  18. wind — moving air
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pit — in a race
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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