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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. race — a contest
  5. band — a ring
  6. race — humankind
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. perch — the fish
  18. band — a music group
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. race — the arms race
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. row — to paddle
  24. branch — a division

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