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 116 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: pitcher · racket · vault · wake · saw · spring · nail · last

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. last — finally
  4. wake — a trail
  5. last — final
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. spring — of water
  8. vault — a safe
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spring — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. last — to go on
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. spring — a coil

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