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: fall · mate · shower · vault · mine · bay · bat · mouse

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. shower — rain
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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