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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ground — a position
  3. bulb — for light
  4. shower — rain
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. court — of law
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. can — to be able to
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — crushed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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