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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cell — in biology
  4. spring — of water
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. spring — the season
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cell — a phone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. craft — boats
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spring — a coil
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. lash — an eyelash

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