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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bass — low music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pitcher — a jug

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