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: perch · shower · march · ball · content · rash · vault · lie

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. shower — rain
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. content — the amount
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. march — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rash — a series
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. content — happy
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lie — to recline
  21. vault — a safe
  22. shower — to wash
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lie — an untruth

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