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 116 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 · pit · vault · cue · rule · nail · fine · face

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. face — to point toward
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rule — government
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — to confront
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fine — high quality
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rule — a law
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rule — to rule out

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