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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. row — a line
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ground — crushed
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mine — for digging
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ground — a position
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. saw — the tool

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