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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. land — ground
  3. vault — a safe
  4. land — a country
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. land — to come down
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. present — the time now
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bark — to shout
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stem — to come from
  24. perch — the fish

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