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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. row — a line
  5. board — a committee
  6. row — to paddle
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. tear — to rip
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. vault — a safe
  17. dip — to sink
  18. content — happy
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. perch — the fish
  22. board — to get on
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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