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 120 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: vault · track · rush · net · chip · wound · perch · cell

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. vault — a safe
  3. net — for catching
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — hurry
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. track — a song
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — in sport
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. net — after costs
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chip — to eat

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