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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. clip — for paper
  3. snap — to click
  4. band — a ring
  5. clip — to cut
  6. band — a music group
  7. bank — of a river
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bound — obliged
  10. craft — boats
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. clip — a video
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bank — for money
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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