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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. degree — from a university
  4. vault — a safe
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. degree — an amount
  8. hand — in cards
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stem — to come from
  13. degree — temperature
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. hand — help
  21. season — of the year
  22. perch — the fish
  23. content — happy
  24. stem — of a plant

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