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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — a position
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wax — to grow
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — music
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rock — a stone

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