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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. court — of law
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bat — the animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. vault — a safe
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. content — happy
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. content — the amount

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