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: vault · rush · hand · fall · prune · file · hide · bat

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fall — the season
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bat — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fall — to drop
  24. file — a line of people

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