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 120 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: bowl · bear · stand · face · vault · club · hide · race

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. race — a contest
  9. club — a group
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. race — humankind
  12. stand — to bear
  13. club — for golf
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. race — the arms race
  24. hide — to keep secret

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