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: mine · bat · game · wound · pop · bass · vault · charge

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pop — to visit
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. charge — a price
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. charge — in control
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — low music
  24. mine — belonging to me

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