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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. toast — bread
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. clip — to cut
  7. ball — a great time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. vault — a safe
  11. spring — the season
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. clip — for paper
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. clip — a video
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ball — a dance
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spring — of water
  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