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: cabinet · ball · bat · vault · object · snap · branch · row

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. snap — to click
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bat — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. object — an aim
  12. ball — a dance
  13. row — to paddle
  14. object — a thing
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. row — a line
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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