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 · drill · patient · fall · bark · foot · snap · lean

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. drill — a practice
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fall — the season
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lean — to bend
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lean — thin
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — army training
  19. fall — to drop
  20. vault — a safe
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. drill — the tool

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