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: land · mate · cap · temple · vault · kid · perch · calf

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. kid — child
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kid — to tease
  5. land — to come down
  6. mate — a friend
  7. land — ground
  8. cap — a lid
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. vault — a safe
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. land — a country
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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