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 120 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: bat · foot · snap · vault · board · kid · dip · tube

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. tube — a container
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. dip — to sink
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. kid — child
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. kid — to tease
  11. board — to get on
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. board — a committee
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. vault — a safe

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