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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. cap — of ice
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. capital — a city
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rock — music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. root — the cause
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chair — a leader
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. capital — money
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. root — of a word
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. vault — a safe
  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