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 · bear · firm · lie · bat · last · hide · squash

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — the sport
  6. firm — decided
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — a company
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. firm — steady
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. last — final
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. last — finally
  18. bear — the animal
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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