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 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. current — of water
  8. chest — a box
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chest — of your body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cap — a hat
  16. current — happening now
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. current — electric
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. perch — the fish

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