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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. 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. vault — a safe
  2. perch — the fish
  3. firm — steady
  4. kid — to tease
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — decided
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kid — child
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — a company
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. 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