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 116 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: vault · tear · wax · hide · bear · perch · bat · wound

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. tear — from crying
  3. perch — the fish
  4. tear — to rip
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wound — an injury
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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