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: firm · bay · degree · mate · hand · fork · march · vault

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — to breed
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mate — a friend
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. degree — temperature
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. march — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. march — the month

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