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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rule — government
  3. mate — to breed
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mate — a partner
  9. squash — to crush
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mate — a friend
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pound — a weight
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — finally
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. last — to go on
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. last — final
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. arm — part of the body

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