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: pitcher · snap · vault · spell · cabinet · roll · drill · stem

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. spell — magic
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. spell — letters
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spell — a short time
  9. snap — to click
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — a list
  12. stem — to come from
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. vault — a safe

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