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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. scale — in music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mate — a partner
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mate — a friend
  9. drill — the tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. game — wild animals
  12. drill — army training
  13. fine — all right
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stem — a stem cell

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