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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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. fall — to drop
  4. field — farmland
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chair — a leader
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. craft — boats
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. fall — the season
  24. bound — certain

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