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: fine · kid · vault · perch · spell · mate · chair · tube

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fine — all right
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. tube — the underground
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. spell — letters
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. vault — a safe
  11. kid — child
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. spell — magic
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chair — a leader
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mate — a partner

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