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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. last — final
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mug — a face
  6. hand — in cards
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. last — finally
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mug — a cup
  14. season — in sport
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — help
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. mug — to rob
  21. saw — the tool
  22. last — to go on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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