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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chest — a box
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chest — of your body
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. club — for golf
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. club — a group
  11. saw — the tool
  12. swing — to play on
  13. chest — of your body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. swing — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — the tool

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