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: bass · drill · squash · last · hand · vault · pitch · rock

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. hand — help
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bass — the fish
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rock — music
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. pitch — completely
  21. drill — army training
  22. bass — low music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. drill — the tool

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