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: coach · vault · object · face · present · field · lash · chair

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. field — farmland
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. face — to confront
  6. field — a subject
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. vault — a safe
  11. face — part of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. object — to protest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — for sport
  17. present — the time now
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. present — a gift
  20. chair — a leader
  21. present — there
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. face — to point toward

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