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 · perch · season · row · field · firm · can · racket

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. row — a line
  6. firm — steady
  7. vault — a safe
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. row — to paddle
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — a company
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. field — a subject
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. field — for sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. firm — decided
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. field — farmland

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