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: straw · perch · arm · cap · spell · vault · dip · ball

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ball — a great time
  3. vault — a safe
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — letters
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ball — a dance
  16. perch — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. arm — part of the body

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