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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. track — to keep track
  3. degree — temperature
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. swing — in golf
  6. track — a path
  7. last — to go on
  8. swing — music
  9. snap — to click
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. degree — an amount
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. swing — to play on
  14. track — a song
  15. last — final
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — finally
  20. mug — a cup
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. degree — from a university

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