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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bat — the animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. roll — a list
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wake — a trail
  23. date — the fruit
  24. dip — to dunk

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