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: land · vault · field · deal · swing · fan · drill · kick

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. land — ground
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. field — farmland
  8. drill — army training
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. kick — in football
  13. land — to come down
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. swing — in golf
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. drill — the tool
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. land — a country
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fan — a supporter

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