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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. spring — of water
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. club — a group
  14. spring — the season
  15. bass — the fish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — the most important part
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. club — for golf
  23. key — in music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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