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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. vault — a safe
  4. club — for golf
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. last — final
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. last — finally
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. club — for dancing
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bulb — for light

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