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: game · saw · bound · foot · vault · chair · content · snap

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — a measure
  3. game — a match
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. content — the amount
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. vault — a safe
  14. content — happy
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. snap — to click
  17. game — wild animals
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chair — a leader

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