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: pitcher · mark · pit · season · chair · net · vault · fall

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. net — after costs
  4. fall — the season
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. season — of the year
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mark — a grade
  12. vault — a safe
  13. net — in sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — in sport
  24. pit — a hole

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