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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. craft — a skill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cold — an illness
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cold — not warm
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. craft — boats
  24. coach — a trainer

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