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: cabinet · tear · sharp · lie · mate · vault · drill · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. drill — army training
  4. mate — a partner
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tear — to rip
  7. drill — a practice
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lie — to recline
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — a friend
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cabinet — ministers

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