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 116 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 · cold · lie · rule · mouse · craft · pitcher · kid

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rule — government
  4. craft — boats
  5. rule — a law
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. vault — a safe
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cold — not warm
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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