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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · bat · spring · race · vault · spell · chair · perch

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spring — of water
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spell — a short time
  7. race — a contest
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. spell — magic
  10. race — the arms race
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. spell — letters
  14. current — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. chair — a leader
  19. current — happening now
  20. spring — the season
  21. race — humankind
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. current — electric
  24. bat — in an idiom

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