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: tube · vault · perch · pound · lie · race · object · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pound — a weight
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — a container
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. object — to protest
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lie — to recline
  12. perch — the fish
  13. race — humankind
  14. tube — the underground
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. object — an aim
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. object — a thing
  20. race — the arms race
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. race — a contest

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