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 · rock · mine · hand · press · stick · swing · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. hand — help
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. press — to push
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hand — in cards
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rock — a stone
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. swing — music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rock — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mine — for digging

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