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: spell · vault · arm · pitcher · bank · rush · track · squash

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — the sport
  3. spell — letters
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — magic
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rush — hurry
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — a safe
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spell — a short time
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — to keep track
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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