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 120 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: plane · vault · bear · rush · racket · stick · mine · field

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — for sport
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. field — a subject
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. plane — a tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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