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: fork · track · club · race · bear · game · vault · straw

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. game — wild animals
  6. club — for dancing
  7. game — a match
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. race — humankind
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. track — a path
  13. race — the arms race
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — a song
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bear — the animal
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fork — in a road
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. club — a group
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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