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: pitch · chair · track · vault · shower · mug · last · spring

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. last — to go on
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mug — a face
  7. chair — a leader
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. track — a path
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. track — a song
  17. spring — the season
  18. last — finally
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. last — final
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. spring — of water
  24. track — to keep track

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