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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. track — a song
  5. field — farmland
  6. last — to go on
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chair — a leader
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. mate — a partner
  14. field — for sport
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. track — a path
  17. field — a subject
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mate — to breed

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