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: kid · safe · cabinet · spring · swing · court · perch · roll

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. roll — a list
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — in golf
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. perch — the fish
  15. court — for sport
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. kid — child
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. perch — for a bird

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