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: capital · vault · spring · pop · field · pit · leaves · wave

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spring — a coil
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pit — in a race
  5. spring — the season
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pit — a hole
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. field — a subject
  10. pop — to visit
  11. field — for sport
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. spring — of water
  14. pop — music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pop — soda
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. vault — a safe
  20. capital — a city
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. field — farmland
  24. capital — money

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