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: trunk · march · can · prune · hand · tube · vault · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — a container
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. march — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. can — to be able to
  14. vault — a safe
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. march — the month
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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