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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. track — a path
  6. drill — a practice
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. drill — army training
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. row — a line
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. file — a line of people
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bear — the animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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