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 · race · drill · root · charge · coach · bass · stem

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stem — to come from
  3. race — a contest
  4. drill — a practice
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bass — low music
  14. root — the cause
  15. drill — the tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. vault — a safe
  18. root — of a plant
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. charge — a price
  21. race — humankind
  22. root — of a word
  23. charge — in control
  24. drill — army training

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