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

Word bank: nail · staff · mate · hide · bass · vault · rash · bat

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rash — hasty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — a series
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. staff — employees
  13. mate — a partner
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bat — in an idiom

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