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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. squash — to crush
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. court — for sport
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mate — to breed
  14. court — of law
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cue — a hint
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. court — of a king
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bowl — a football final

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