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

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lean — thin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hand — help
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — in cards
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wound — an injury
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hand — 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