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: wound · bass · prune · vault · arm · court · bay · stem

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bass — low music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. vault — a safe
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. court — of law
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stem — to come from
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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