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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. perch — the fish
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. file — a line of people
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. season — of the year
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mark — a trace
  15. file — a tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — a grade
  20. season — in sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. file — a document

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