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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitch — completely
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. field — for sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. key — for a lock
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. field — a subject

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