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: chest · roll · row · plane · bulb · season · pitcher · vault

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. row — to paddle
  14. roll — a cake
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. season — in sport
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. roll — a list
  20. row — a line
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chest — of your body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitcher — a jug

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