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: cue · pound · row · cell · coach · game · vault · pitcher

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — for pool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. row — a line
  12. cue — a signal
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. game — wild animals
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cue — a hint
  22. game — a match
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. coach — a trainer

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