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: tear · ball · mug · fan · vault · mark · chest · mate

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chest — a box
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a trace
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. tear — to rip
  24. ball — a round shape

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