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: racket · degree · perch · chair · vault · suit · scale · wind

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. suit — in cards
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. scale — size or range
  5. degree — temperature
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. degree — an amount
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — a leader
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — to fit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. perch — the fish
  17. suit — clothes
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. degree — from a university
  20. scale — in music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chair — to sit on

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