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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. court — of law
  3. content — the amount
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. court — of a king
  6. lean — thin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — for sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — employees
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lean — to bend
  24. nail — for a hammer

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