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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lean — to bend
  3. club — for golf
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. club — for dancing
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lean — thin
  21. club — a group
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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