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: trunk · racket · ground · bass · last · pitch · vault · stand

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stand — to bear
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. last — to go on
  20. bass — the fish
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — low music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — a sports field

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