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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cell — in biology
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cell — a phone
  24. straw — a straw man

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