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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. file — a document
  5. vault — a safe
  6. file — a tool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bound — obliged
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bound — certain
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to click
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. season — in sport
  21. bound — tied together
  22. season — of the year
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. file — a line of people

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