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 · kick · vault · rush · mug · racket · pitcher · cell

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mug — a face
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mug — to rob
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — hurry
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cell — a phone

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