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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mug — a face
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mug — a cup
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wind — moving air
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mug — to rob
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cell — in biology

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