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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bound — certain
  5. snap — to click
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. game — a match
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — rain
  13. ground — crushed
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ground — a position
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bound — tied together
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. game — wild animals
  24. straw — a straw man

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