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

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. march — music
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. spring — the season
  9. lean — thin
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — to bend
  13. face — to point toward
  14. march — the month
  15. net — after costs
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spring — of water
  21. perch — the fish
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. lash — an eyelash

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