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 · trunk · sharp · cabinet · last · jam · roll · racket

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. sharp — clever
  3. last — finally
  4. roll — a list
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. last — to go on
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. last — final
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. roll — a cake
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cabinet — ministers

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