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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. current — happening now
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — a safe
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bat — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — hasty
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — certain
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — the tool
  22. current — of water
  23. bound — tied together
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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