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 · vault · net · mouse · tube · key · mate · bat

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — the underground
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. mate — a partner
  11. net — after costs
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fall — the season
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. net — for catching
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. net — in sport

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