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: vault · pitcher · root · jam · arm · track · branch · net

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. vault — a safe
  3. track — to keep track
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. root — of a word
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. branch — a division
  11. net — after costs
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. root — of a plant
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. root — the cause
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. net — for catching
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. net — in sport
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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