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: last · perch · vault · bear · foot · wind · pop · cue

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pop — music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wind — moving air
  10. last — final
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bear — the animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pop — soda

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