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: perch · vault · degree · hide · root · bay · craft · capital

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. degree — an amount
  3. capital — a city
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. root — of a word
  6. craft — boats
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. root — the cause
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. degree — from a university
  16. perch — the fish
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. root — of a plant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. capital — money
  24. craft — a handicraft

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