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: field · scale · bulb · pitcher · vault · mouse · cell · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cell — a phone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pit — in a race
  10. scale — size or range
  11. field — a subject
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — farmland
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. field — for sport
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mouse — the animal

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