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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stand — to bear
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. race — a contest
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tear — from crying
  16. race — the arms race
  17. tear — from crying
  18. spell — magic
  19. race — humankind
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spell — letters
  24. ruler — for measuring

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