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 · perch · shower · file · vault · game · rule · root

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. perch — the fish
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rule — government
  7. root — of a word
  8. game — wild animals
  9. vault — a safe
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. file — a document
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. shower — rain
  16. game — a match
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. root — the cause
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fine — all right
  21. root — of a plant
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. shower — to wash

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