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: court · vault · pitcher · lie · jam · spring · last · suit

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. spring — the season
  2. suit — clothes
  3. court — for sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — of law
  7. last — final
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. last — finally
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. court — of a king
  13. suit — to fit
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spring — of water
  17. vault — a safe
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. last — to go on
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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