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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. vault — a safe
  5. field — for sport
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — to drop
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. object — to protest
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — the season
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. object — a thing
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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