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: bat · fork · swing · staff · pitcher · ball · vault · wax

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. swing — in golf
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. staff — employees
  20. swing — to play on
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. swing — music
  24. ball — a dance

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