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: vault · calf · court · race · pitcher · lash · board · key

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. race — humankind
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. race — a contest
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. board — a committee
  14. court — for sport
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — in music
  21. court — of law
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lash — an eyelash

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