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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. vault — a safe
  5. kick — in football
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mate — a partner
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. perch — the fish
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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