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 120 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: rule · vault · patient · bulb · wave · bowl · mouse · fork

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rule — government
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. patient — a sick person

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