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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. snap — to click
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pop — soda
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bass — low music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pop — music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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