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: fan · roll · rush · rash · vault · bass · bat · pit

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — a list
  12. rush — hurry
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. bass — low music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bass — the fish

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