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 · stick · foot · cue · lie · patient · lash · degree

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lie — to recline
  12. vault — a safe
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cue — for pool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. degree — from a university
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. degree — an amount
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lie — an untruth

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