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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. root — of a word
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. scale — size or range
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. face — to confront
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. root — of a plant
  13. scale — in music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. face — to point toward
  24. root — the cause

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