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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mug — a face
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — a trail
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. staff — employees
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — a company
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. firm — steady
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — a safe
  24. staff — a stick

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