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: coach · bark · rush · pass · spring · vault · root · net

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. root — the cause
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. net — after costs
  7. spring — a coil
  8. net — for catching
  9. spring — the season
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pass — a permit
  17. net — in sport
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — of a word
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spring — of water
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bark — to shout

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