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 116 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — thin
  4. last — final
  5. squash — the sport
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. net — after costs
  9. drill — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. dip — to sink
  12. drill — a practice
  13. last — finally
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. squash — to crush
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. saw — the tool
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. drill — army training
  22. last — to go on
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lean — to bend

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