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: track · straw · club · dip · cabinet · saw · vault · bay

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. track — a path
  11. club — a group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. track — to keep track
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. club — for golf
  23. dip — to sink
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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