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: spring · kid · vault · stem · perch · cue · branch · saw

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. kid — child
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stem — to come from
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. vault — a safe
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. spring — a coil
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spring — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. branch — a division
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spring — the season
  22. kid — to tease
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. perch — the fish

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