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: leaves · mark · fork · vault · snap · chair · pitcher · straw

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mark — a trace
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mark — a grade
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. leaves — to go away

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