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: craft · current · vault · wind · tear · mine · perch · bass

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — low music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. tear — to rip
  7. craft — a skill
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. craft — boats
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tear — from crying
  19. perch — the fish
  20. tear — from crying
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bass — the instrument

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