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 120 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: wake · vault · nail · rule · last · lash · pound · chest

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. last — final
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. last — finally
  14. chest — a box
  15. rule — government
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. last — to go on

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