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: scale · vault · row · prune · net · last · pitcher · racket

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — in sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. row — to paddle
  7. last — final
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. net — after costs
  10. scale — in music
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — a safe
  15. last — finally
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — to trim
  21. last — to go on
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. row — a line

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