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: rest · vault · deal · dip · racket · content · foot · shower

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — the amount
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rest — a break
  8. content — happy
  9. deal — to handle
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — a safe
  12. shower — rain
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. dip — to sink
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. shower — to wash
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. foot — a measure

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