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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — help
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. vault — a safe
  14. clip — to cut
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. deal — to handle
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. clip — a video
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cabinet — ministers

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