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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. march — music
  4. ground — a position
  5. bat — the animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. march — the month
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ground — the earth
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. charge — electricity
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. charge — in control
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ground — crushed
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. march — the month
  23. vault — a safe
  24. charge — a price

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