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: mug · squash · chest · vault · lie · dip · tear · saw

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tear — from crying
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tear — to rip
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mug — a face
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. dip — to dunk

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