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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chest — a box
  14. rest — what's left
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rest — a break
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. straw — a straw man

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