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: present · stem · bat · vault · calf · squash · stick · ground

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. ground — a position
  3. squash — to crush
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bat — the animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bat — for baseball

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