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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. perch — the fish
  3. staff — employees
  4. net — for catching
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. net — after costs
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spell — letters
  11. swing — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. staff — a stick
  15. swing — in golf
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. spell — magic
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spell — a short time
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. net — in sport

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