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: tear · kid · foot · bowl · mug · bat · vault · degree

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bat — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. kid — child
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mug — a face
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mug — to rob
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tear — to rip

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