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: kid · pitcher · land · bowl · patient · vault · fan · rush

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. kid — to tease
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rush — hurry
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — a country
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. land — ground
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kid — child
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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