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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. prune — to trim
  3. press — to push
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. press — newspapers
  7. field — farmland
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — a container
  12. march — music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. field — a subject
  15. press — a publisher
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. march — the month
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. march — the month
  20. field — for sport
  21. tube — the underground
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spring — the season

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