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: rush · bat · wound · land · pass · root · vault · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. land — a country
  6. root — the cause
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — hurry
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. root — of a word
  21. land — ground
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wound — an injury

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