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: dip · mate · snap · bat · vault · fine · root · hide

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mate — to breed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — the cause
  12. fine — high quality
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mate — a partner
  21. root — of a word
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. snap — to click
  24. root — of a plant

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