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: rush · chip · cold · trunk · cap · vault · toast · kick

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. rush — hurry
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cap — a hat
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chip — for betting
  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