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: clip · vault · hide · stick · ball · chest · firm · dip

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. clip — to cut
  3. firm — decided
  4. ball — a dance
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chest — of your body
  8. clip — a video
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. firm — a company
  14. chest — a box
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. vault — a safe
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — of your body
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. clip — for paper
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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