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 116 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: drill · vault · deal · row · coach · prune · lash · scale

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. prune — to trim
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. drill — army training
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. row — to paddle
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. drill — a practice
  16. deal — to handle
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. vault — a safe
  19. scale — in music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — a line
  23. drill — the tool
  24. scale — size or range

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