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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. press — to push
  6. vault — a safe
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — to sink
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mark — a trace
  24. hide — animal skin

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