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: perch · fall · hide · vault · nail · season · last · spring

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — a coil
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — of water
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. season — of the year
  9. fall — the season
  10. spring — the season
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — the fish
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. season — in sport
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. last — finally
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — to add flavour

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