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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rush — hurry
  6. drill — army training
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. hand — in cards
  9. snap — to click
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hand — help
  15. vault — a safe
  16. season — of the year
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. season — in sport
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. drill — the tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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