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: firm · fine · field · bass · bark · vault · bat · wound

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. field — farmland
  9. wound — an injury
  10. field — for sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. firm — steady
  13. fine — all right
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bat — the animal
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. field — a subject
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bass — low music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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