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: track · field · deal · court · stick · plane · vault · wound

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wound — an injury
  3. court — for sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. field — for sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. court — of law
  12. wound — an injury
  13. field — a subject
  14. court — of a king
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. track — a song
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. field — farmland
  21. track — to keep track
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. track — a path
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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