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: deal · bay · jam · chest · wound · drill · vault · perch

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. drill — a practice
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. drill — army training
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wound — an injury
  17. perch — the fish
  18. chest — a box
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chest — of your body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. chest — of your body
  23. vault — a safe
  24. drill — the tool

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