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 120 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: lie · bat · straw · kid · track · vault · stand · staff

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kid — child
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. track — a song
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stand — to bear
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bat — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — to tease
  15. staff — a stick
  16. track — a path
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. staff — employees
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. vault — a safe
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bat — in an idiom

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