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: wind · mouse · bear · rest · capital · vault · coach · prune

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rest — what's left
  4. vault — a safe
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rest — a break
  20. wind — moving air
  21. capital — a city
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. prune — to trim

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