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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. board — a committee
  3. spring — a coil
  4. perch — the fish
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. board — to get on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fall — the season
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spring — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. spring — of water

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