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: chip · ruler · content · field · vault · trunk · hand · pitcher

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. content — the amount
  5. field — for sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — help
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — farmland
  13. hand — in cards
  14. vault — a safe
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — happy
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. chip — for betting
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. field — a subject

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