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 120 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: stem · mark · shower · snap · can · chest · bass · vault

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mark — a grade
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bass — the fish
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. can — a tin
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — rain
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bass — low music
  21. snap — to click
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chest — a box

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