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: vault · branch · hand · arm · rush · last · jam · tube

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. branch — a division
  4. last — to go on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. last — final
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. last — finally
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — a container
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. hand — help
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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