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: spring · wake · racket · vault · mug · staff · net · pitch

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mug — a face
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — employees
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mug — to rob
  18. spring — a coil
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. staff — a stick

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