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: jam · season · craft · field · vault · snap · bass · mine

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. season — in sport
  6. vault — a safe
  7. snap — to click
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. season — of the year
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. craft — a skill
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. field — for sport
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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