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 120 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: rash · snap · cold · mug · vault · spring · perch · sharp

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mug — to rob
  5. vault — a safe
  6. perch — the fish
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cold — an illness
  9. spring — the season
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cold — not warm
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rash — a series
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. snap — to click
  18. spring — of water
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spring — a coil
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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