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: bear · spring · land · roll · vault · can · bass · prune

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. can — a tin
  4. bass — low music
  5. can — a tin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. roll — a cake
  8. spring — the season
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. roll — a list
  12. bass — the fish
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. prune — to trim
  17. land — ground
  18. can — to be able to
  19. land — to come down
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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