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 · club · leaves · spring · bulb · calf · stick · game

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — for dancing
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. club — a group
  14. spring — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spring — the season
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. calf — a young animal

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