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: bulb · band · temple · season · vault · straw · game · content

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. content — happy
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. band — a music group
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. game — a match
  11. band — a ring
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. season — in sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. game — wild animals
  21. content — the amount
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. vault — a safe
  24. temple — a place of worship

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