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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — the animal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kid — child
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. band — a music group
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. kid — to tease
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — a safe
  18. perch — the fish
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. band — a ring
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. perch — for a bird

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