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 · safe · arm · hide · degree · straw · bark · date

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. date — the fruit
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — a safe
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. degree — temperature

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