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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. drill — a practice
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. row — a line
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. press — newspapers
  11. drill — army training
  12. press — to push
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. snap — to click
  15. court — of a king
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mate — to breed
  19. press — a publisher
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mate — a partner
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mate — a friend

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