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: straw · snap · vault · staff · foot · pop · scale · lie

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. staff — employees
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. snap — to click
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. scale — size or range
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. scale — in music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lie — to recline
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pop — soda
  18. staff — a stick
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pop — music
  24. straw — dry grass

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