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: vault · trunk · fork · perch · coach · squash · hand · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. squash — to crush
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. land — ground
  9. fork — in a road
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — help
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. land — a country
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hand — in cards
  23. vault — a safe
  24. squash — the sport

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