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 · row · toast · bound · vault · mug · cell · game

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. toast — bread
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mug — a cup
  10. game — a match
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cell — in biology
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bound — obliged
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mug — to rob
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mug — a face
  21. game — wild animals
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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