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 120 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: calf · net · club · vault · drill · chest · rock · cap

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cap — a hat
  3. vault — a safe
  4. drill — army training
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. net — in sport
  8. club — a group
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cap — of ice
  13. drill — a practice
  14. club — for golf
  15. chest — of your body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chest — a box
  19. club — for dancing
  20. net — after costs
  21. rock — music
  22. net — for catching
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — a stone

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