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: field · coach · swing · vault · perch · wound · rock · bound

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bound — certain
  6. rock — a stone
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — tied together
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. swing — music
  15. field — for sport
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wound — an injury
  18. field — farmland
  19. rock — music
  20. field — a subject
  21. vault — a safe
  22. swing — in golf
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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