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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. shower — rain
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a trace
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kick — in football
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. dip — a sauce

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