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: vault · clip · wake · craft · racket · present · chair · mate

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. craft — boats
  3. clip — a video
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mate — a friend
  8. chair — a leader
  9. clip — for paper
  10. present — a gift
  11. craft — a skill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. present — the time now
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. present — there
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mate — a partner
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wake — a trail

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