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: arm · perch · fork · wake · band · vault · tube · mug

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mug — to rob
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mug — a face
  11. tube — the underground
  12. band — a music group
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mug — a cup
  15. band — a ring
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — a container
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wake — a trail

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