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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · club · mug · stick · tear · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. tear — to rip
  3. club — a group
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — from crying
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mug — a face
  9. club — for dancing
  10. tear — from crying
  11. club — for golf
  12. net — for catching
  13. vault — a safe
  14. net — after costs
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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