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: mouse · sharp · tube · cap · vault · field · toast · racket

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. sharp — clever
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tube — the underground
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. field — a subject
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. field — farmland
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cap — a lid
  24. toast — bread

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