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

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. key — for a lock
  5. swing — to play on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — of a king
  8. bore — to tire
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — a law
  11. swing — in golf
  12. key — the most important part
  13. track — a song
  14. court — for sport
  15. track — a path
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. swing — music
  18. rule — government
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. court — of law
  21. vault — a safe
  22. key — in music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — to drill

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