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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · field · tear · rock · bank · bass

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bass — low music
  3. vault — a safe
  4. field — farmland
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rock — music
  8. bank — for money
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bank — for money
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rock — to move gently

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