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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — the underground
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bass — low music
  11. object — a thing
  12. season — in sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tube — a container
  16. object — an aim
  17. net — for catching
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. clip — to cut
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. season — of the year

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