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: stick · bark · nail · vault · chest · snap · cell · wound

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wound — an injury
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bark — to shout
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. chest — a box
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chest — of your body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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