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: cell · net · lie · bat · ground · temple · fork · vault

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bat — the animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ground — a position
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. net — after costs
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lie — to recline
  23. net — in sport
  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