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: bass · club · mug · wind · safe · clip · perch · vault

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. club — for golf
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bass — low music
  6. mug — a face
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. perch — the fish
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mug — a cup
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. club — a group
  14. mug — to rob
  15. vault — a safe
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. clip — to cut
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. club — for dancing
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bass — the fish
  24. clip — a video

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