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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. vault — a safe
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — soda
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. field — for sport
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. field — farmland
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. pop — music

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