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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mug — a cup
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mug — to rob
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bat — the animal
  10. last — final
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — a measure
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. last — finally
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mug — a face
  24. temple — side of the head

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