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: swing · perch · vault · date · jam · straw · lie · toast

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. perch — the fish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. vault — a safe
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. lie — to recline
  20. swing — to play on
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — the fruit

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