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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ball — a great time
  10. face — part of the head
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ball — a dance
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — of a tree

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