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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · bass · craft · snap · wake · mine · land · mouse

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. land — ground
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. craft — a skill
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. snap — to click
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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