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: last · bay · vault · arm · safe · court · rash · lie

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. court — of a king
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. last — final
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lie — to recline
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — for sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rash — a series
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — finally
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. court — of law
  24. safe — out of danger

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