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: straw · coach · cap · bat · rush · vault · wake · safe

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bat — the animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cap — of ice
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cap — a lid
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — a trail
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wake — before a funeral

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