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: cap · pitcher · vault · saw · bowl · fall · lash · patient

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fall — the season
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cap — a hat

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