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

Word bank: vault · kid · deal · game · perch · wake · leaves · march

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. march — music
  3. kid — child
  4. deal — to handle
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wake — a trail
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. game — a match
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. march — the month
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. march — the month
  17. game — wild animals
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kid — to tease
  23. vault — a safe
  24. deal — an agreement

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