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: vault · stand · wind · shower · face · cap · bound · kid

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cap — a lid
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. face — part of the head
  9. shower — rain
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bound — tied together
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. vault — a safe
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. shower — to wash
  20. kid — child
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wind — moving air
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. face — to confront

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