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: straw · vault · wake · suit · spring · present · bowl · band

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. present — the time now
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. present — a gift
  10. band — a music group
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. present — there
  14. spring — of water
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. suit — to fit
  17. band — a ring
  18. spring — a coil
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wake — a trail
  23. suit — in cards
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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