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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. vault — a safe
  7. court — for sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. court — of law
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bank — for money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rash — hasty
  19. court — of a king
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — to sit on

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